Terry Loynes

Terry Loynes

Kinship Care Navigator

Terry Loynes has worked in various positions in the Mental Health field beginning in May 1980 through August 2019. Those positions included Activity Therapy Aid, Case Management and Supervisory and Director positions in a State Mental Health facility, Counseling Domestic Violence Survivors, and most recently served as a Human Resource Director for a non-profit agency who provides AFC specialized residential services for developmentally disabled adults. Terry and her husband Joe reside in Gratiot County and they have 7 grandchildren. Grandparenting and camping are their passions that they enjoy together.

They became legal guardians and Kinship Caregivers for their grandson, who came to live with them in December 2012 as a result of both of his parents' deaths. This led Terry down the path of pursuing and learning more about available resources for their grandson ranging from how to navigate the MDHHS system to learning how to advocate for educational services via the IEP process. Terry's current passion is returning to do advocacy work as a Kinship Navigator through the MSU Kinship Care Resource Center in hopes of guiding other Kinship Caregivers down a smoother path in accessing resources and services. Terry currently volunteers as a member of the Parent Advisory Committee and as a member of the Parent Coalition of Gratiot and Isabella Counties via the Great Start Collaborative of the Gratiot-Isabella RESD. Terry is also a member of the Foster/Kinship Caregiver Group in Gratiot County.